Scarsdale Diet – Best Plan To Lose 20 Pounds In 2 Weeks

Losing 20 pounds in 2 weeks sounds exciting, isn’t it? And that’s exactly what Scarsdale Diet does! It was created by Dr. Herman Turnower, a cardiologist, to help his patients with quick weight loss. And later, this diet was published in a book called The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet (1978).

This high protein scarsdale diet will allow you to consume only 1000 calories per day with 43% protein, 22.5% fat and 34.5% carbohydrates. Of course, this is a fad diet and is only meant to achieve short-term quick weight loss goals. So, let’s get right into Scarsdale menu plan for 2 weeks and see if this is the ultimate weight loss plan for you. Read on to find out more about this.

To lose fat, you need to do more than just eating well. You must create a negative energy balance so that you actually shed fat and build lean muscle mass. So, here’s your exercise plan for Day 1.

Day 1 Workout Plan

Head tilt – 1 set of 10 reps

Neck rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Shoulder rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Arm circles – 1 set of 10 reps

Wrist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Waist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Ankle rotation – 1 set of 10 reps

High knees – 1 set of 20 reps

Slide lunges – 1 set of 10 reps

Jumping jacks – 1 set of 20 reps

Sit ups – 1 set of 10 reps

Crunches – 1 set of 10 reps

Scissor kicks – 1 set of 10 reps

Stretch

How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 1

By the end of day 1, you might feel a little tired as you will consume only 1000 calories, which is way less than what you consume daily. You might also feel hungry 2-3 hours after lunch. The best thing to do is to drink water or a cup of green tea at that time. Remember, losing weight is your priority now and it’s just for a few days. So, stick to the plan. Let’s find out what’s in store for you on Day 2.

On day 2 too, you will be exercising to create a negative energy balance. Here’s your day 2 workout routine.

Day 2 Workout Plan

Head tilt – 1 set of 10 reps

Neck rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Shoulder rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Arm circles – 1 set of 10 reps

Wrist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Waist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Ankle rotation – 1 set of 10 reps

Spot jogging – 3-4 minutes

Jumping jacks – 2 sets of 20 reps

Calf raise – 2 sets of 20 reps

Forward lunges – 1 set of 10 reps

Side lunges – 1 set of 10 reps

Side crunches – 1 set of 10 reps

Mountain climbers – 1 set of 10 reps

Russian twist – 2 sets of 10 reps

Tricep dips – 2 sets of 5 reps

Stretch

How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 2

By the end of day 2, you will begin to get a hang of the diet plan. Thus, you will feel more at ease than on day 1. Moreover, the exercise routine, will keep you active and make you feel good about sticking to the plan and you will look forward to day 3.

How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 4

By the end of day 4, you will be more active and productive. Yoga is also going to help improve blood circulation, concentration, and flexibility. You will start to enjoy this diet plan now. Let’s move on to day 5.

Roast chicken/turkey + tomato and lettuce salad + grapefruit or any fruit of the season + tea/coffee/ diet soda/ water

Sixth day into the diet and yes, you still have to continue to exercise to keep your metabolism active and mobilize the fat. Here’s what you must do.

Day 6 Workout Plan

Head tilt – 1 set of 10 reps

Neck rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Shoulder rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Arm circles – 1 set of 10 reps

Wrist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Waist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Ankle rotation – 1 set of 10 reps

Squat – 1 set of 10 reps

Forward lunges (2 pound dumbbells) – 2 sets of 10 reps

Bicep curls – 1 set of 10 reps

Tricep extension – 1 set of 10 reps

Chin ups – 1 set of 5 reps

Static bicycling – 5 minutes

Pushups – 2 sets of 10 reps

High knees – 2 sets of 30 reps

Forward elbow plank – 30 second hold

Stretch

How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 6

By the end of day 6, you can feel that your metabolism has kick started and you will become more active and energetic. Moreover, from the 6th day, if you stick to the plan, your body will start mobilizing the fat. This is the best news, as the goal is to shed fat. Here’s what you are going to do on day 7.

On the 7th day too you must workout. Here’s a fun workout routine for you.

Day 7 Workout Plan

Head tilt – 1 set of 10 reps

Neck rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Shoulder rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Arm circles – 1 set of 10 reps

Wrist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Waist rotations – 1 set of 10 reps

Ankle rotation – 1 set of 10 reps

Intermittent running or Swimming or dancing or play a sport

Stretch

How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 7

By the end of day 7, you will be happy and feel good about the fact that you gave your best to adhere to the plan. But it’s not the time to get rewarded yet because the aim is to lose 20 pounds. By now, you would have lost a whopping 8-10 pounds. But you must go on to the 2nd week in order to achieve your target weight. Here’s what you should do in the 2nd week.

Day 8 – Day 14

From Day 8 – Day 14 (2nd week of Scarsdale diet), you must follow the same diet plan that you did in the first week. You can follow the same workout plan or increase the reps and sets of few exercises depending on your “problem areas”.

How Will You Feel By The End Of Scarsdale Diet?

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After you complete the 2-week Scarsdale diet, you will find yourself rejuvenated, less anxious, highly productive, and of course slimmer than before. You will sleep better and would be able to focus more on your work or school. In fact, this diet is going to help you change your lifestyle, which you will love. Now, let me tell you how this diet actually works.

How Scarsdale Diet Works?

Scarsdale diet is a protein-rich, low-calorie diet plan that works by suppressing appetite. You will eat a lot of fruits, veggies, protein, 4 glasses of water per day, and tea/coffee. These will provide you with the essential nutrients and keep your hunger pangs at bay. For your convenience, I have prepared a list of foods that you can eat and must avoid when you are on Scarsdale diet. Take a look.

The next important thing that you don’t want to miss knowing is if Scarsdale diet is safe for you to follow. Let’s find out.

Is Scarsdale Diet Safe?

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Scarsdale diet was created keeping the heart patients in mind, for them to lose weight. And you should remember that it is only meant to be followed for 2 weeks. Moreover, a major part of the diet concentrates on the consumption of protein and very less healthy fats. Yes, the proteins take time to digest and thus can aid weight loss and help build lean muscle mass. But, healthy fats and complex carbs should not be ignored. Healthy fats reduce inflammation and thereby reduces the risk of inflammation-induced obesity. Complex carbs are good carbs found in whole grains, fruits, and veggies that help improve digestion, bowel movement, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. So, the bottom line is, Scarsdale diet is safe but not beyond 2 weeks.

If you follow this diet continuously to lose weight, you will not be able to do that. Instead, you will gain weight and put your health at risk. However, you can follow this diet after taking a break of 2 weeks. In fact, by following our Scarsdale diet with workout routine you can reap the following benefits.

Scarsdale Diet Benefits

Helps lose water weight.

Kick starts fat mobilization.

Helps build lean muscle.

Improves muscle power.

Helps flush out toxins.

Like other fad diets, Scarsdale diet also has disadvantages or side effects. Here’s what you should know.

Scarsdale Diet Side Effects

Not eating for more than 4 hours can make your body go into starvation mode where your body will start storing any kind of food as fat instead of using it as an energy source.

It can make you feel starved, which might make you highly irritable.

Eating the same foods for 2 weeks can result in strong cravings for high-calorie foods.

To conclude, Scarsdale diet is effective but you need a strong will power to lose weight quickly. Just remember that this is not a long-term weight loss plan and is best to follow when you have an upcoming event. It will help if you know how to make it work for you. If you have any questions, please drop a comment below. Take care!